Confessions of an Epic Indian
Ashok Banker
Monday 1 September 2008
Ashok Banker is one of the most acclaimed names
in contemporary Indian literature; reworking the myths and legends
of India into a genre best described as Epic Indian fiction. His
internationally acclaimed and bestselling Ramayana
series which began with Prince of Ayodhya (2003)
is a spectacular re-telling of the ancient Sanskrit epic that blends
vivid action with beautifully imagined characters, sensitivity and
intense drama.
His other work extends to a major three-film adaptation of the
books, an animated feature film, a comic book adaptation, and numerous
other film, television, graphic novel, documentary, online, and
book projects all drawing from the rich vein of Indian culture,
in particular the Ramayana. In his first-ever
appearance outside India, the author reads from, discusses and presents
exclusive glimpses of his work on the Ramayana
for various media.
Event time: 18.30 - 20.00
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price: £6 (£4 concessions) (2 - 4 - 1 offer, please call Box Office +44 (0) 1937 546 546 to book)
Book
Sita - The Voice of Justice in the Ramayana
Mandakranta Bose
Tuesday 2 September 2008
The Ramayana is acclaimed as a celebration
of idealism that asserts the triumph of justice and the righteousness
of Rama. Yet throughout the epic, Sita is repeatedly humiliated
and rejected by her husband and we join her in demanding to know
why she endures such undeserved suffering. Is the Ramayana
less a victory song and more a tragic lament in which political
expediency wins out? This intriguing discussion explores how Sita's
challenge makes her the true voice of moral authority in successive
versions of the Ramayana.
Mandakranta Bose D.Phil Oxon, is Professor Emerita,
Institute of Asian Research University of British Columbia, a fellow
of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Canada. She is editor of The Ramayana Revisited
(Oxford University Press 2004).
Event time: 18.30 - 20.00
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price: £6 (£4 concessions) (2 - 4 - 1 offer, please call Box Office +44 (0) 1937 546 546 to book)
Book
Kathakali Dance Performance
Sunday 7 September 2008
Solo performance by Kalamandalam Vijayakumar, demonstrating the remarkable technique, drama and costume of south Indian Kathakali dance drama. Watch from 14.00 as his distinctive make up is applied.
Event time: 15.30 - 16.15
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price: Free (advanced booking not required)
Film: Opera Jawa
Wednesday 10 September 2008
Garin
Nugroho, Indonesia/Austria 2006, 120 mins, Javanese with
subtitles
A film hailed as 'extraordinary', 'superbly conceived' and 'a
masterpiece' in the UK press, this visually sumptuous music drama
by Indonesia's leading director is a reworking of The Abduction
of Sita. Set to gamelan, electronics and the blues, the climatic
episodes of the Ramayana epic blaze with
political heat and sensuous imagination.
Event time: 18.30 - 20.45
Location: Conference Centre, British Library
Price: £6 (£4 concessions) (2 - 4 - 1 offer, please call Box Office +44 (0) 1937 546 546 to book)
Book
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